Where does “provocatively” come from?
Provocatively derives from Middle French provocatif, which combines Old English -līċ and Proto-Germanic -līkaz (meaning "body" or "form"), tracing through Proto-Germanic galīkaz to Proto-Indo-European līg- and ḱóm.
provocatively (English): In a provocative manner
Definitions
- In a provocative manner
Ancestry of “provocatively”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | provocative | Serving or tending to elicit a strong, often... |
| 2 | Middle French | provocatif | — |
| 3 | Latin | provocativus | elicited |
| 4 | Latin | prōvocō | to call forth, summon |
| 5 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |